Let me introduce you to one of the most sophisticated and unforgettable films you will see this year, ‘In Time’.In the future, time is money. A coffee costs 4 minutes of your life, a bus journey 2 hours and, if you live in the outer zones of society, you must earn your time or die trying. This film plays on the analogy of the body-clock and that time can be spent, borrowed, wasted but never got back. The constant presence onscreen of the character’s body-clocks creates brilliant tension and urgency.
Justin Timberlake joins the ranks of Jennifer Lopez (who has made a number of successful rom-coms) and Jared Leto (‘Requiem for a Dream’) as a singer-turned-actor who can really act! He carries the narrative as protagonist, Will Salas, with conviction, creating complete empathy and desirability for his character.
With a very strong cast, Niccol makes all characters’ storylines interweave producing a captivating race against time for all the main players. His narrative spans from the ostentatiously rich, to policemen (called ‘timekeepers’), to the back alley mafia and the ghetto underdogs. This really adds to the feeling of an invincible social system, making the exciting chase to topple the hierarchy all the more scintillating.
Alex Pettyfer simmers as a ghetto time stealer. With an underground criminal group at his command, all suited with slicked hair, he dominates the scenes pervading the atmosphere with fear and tension.
However, this thriller is by no means slow moving. It balances fun and action with character development and banter. The fast pace, with jumps, car chases, bank heists, hostage taking and poker, doesn’t compromise either the familial or romantic storylines, although, and I would never normally advocate flashbacks for narrative alone, the absent father-son relationship could have done with a little more emotional depth –but that’s just me.
The undercurrents of romance are played just right with no clumsy dialogue to push the idea. The porcelain doll appearance of Amanda Seyfried’s character, Sylvia, nicely contrasts her with the harsh world of the ghetto and makes her a surprising character in many ways. It is her life which impresses the poignant difference between life and existence. Throughout the film she becomes a force to be reckoned with, not to mention outfits to make any girl jealous, although I wish she would learn that you just can’t run for your life in heels that size!
Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried ooze cool and their onscreen wit makes this an unexpectedly humorous film. It has been a long time since I’ve been to the cinema and heard collective out-loud laughter on more than one occasion. This is truly a special film.
Niccol’s uses wonderful motifs of repeated phrases and echoed moments to highlight the corruption of the society and to emphasise how the characters are controlled by the clock. This builds a familiarity with the world in the film and increases the audience’s desire for Will to succeed.
The film works perfectly as an extended metaphor for time as money with witty and clever word play from today’s common phrases. Comments like “Don’t waste my time.” Take on completely new and interesting meaning.
It’s a scary thought that every second of every minute of every day our time is ticking away. However, if the 109 minutes of this film teach us anything it is the value of our time. Once spent you can never get it back, so RUN you’ve got a life to live.
(P.S. If you watch 'In Time' and love it as I did, explore the further genius of Director Andrew Niccol in the 1997 film ‘Gattaca’)
